Baltimore Ravens receive injury diagnosis on JK Dobbins
The Baltimore Ravens’ fears became reality on Sunday. After suffering a knee injury in Baltimore’s preseason finale against the Washington Football Team, J.K. Dobbins received his official diagnosis Sunday afternoon. The young running back will miss the entirety of the season with a torn ACL, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
“An MRI today confirmed that Ravens’ RB J.K. Dobbins, one of the top young running backs in the game, suffered a season ending torn ACL, per source,” Schefter tweeted.
Dobbins suffered his injury when he took a shoulder directly to the front of his left knee on Saturday night. He was carted off the field and could not put pressure on his leg.
Dobbins was in line for a big second NFL season with Ravens
At Ohio State, Dobbins starred on the Buckeyes offense. As a freshman in 2017, Dobbins ran for 1,403 yards and seven touchdowns on 194 carries, an impressive 7.2 yards per carry. In 2018, Dobbins ran for just over 1,000 yards with 12 total touchdowns. Dobbins led the Big Ten in rushing during his junior season in 2019. His impressive 2,003 yards and 23 total touchdowns resulted in a major leap in his NFL Draft stock.
The Ravens selected Dobbins with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Dobbins played in 15 games, running for 805 yards and nine touchdowns on 134 carries. He had a solid six yards per carry.
Without Dobbins, the Ravens must now replace their expected starting running back. Former starter Mark Ingram is now with the Houston Texans. Fourth year running back Gus Edwards is poised for a major increase in volume with Dobbins now out. In each of his three NFL seasons, Edwards has run for at least 711 yards. Last year, he set career highs with 144 carries, 723 yards, six touchdowns, nine receptions, 13 targets, and 129 receiving yards.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson also plays a major role in the running game. In his three seasons in the NFL, Jackson has 2,906 yards and 19 touchdowns rushing.
Losing a young, key offensive player is not how the Ravens wanted to begin their season. Dobbins was in line for a major breakout season in his second year.